


Lines in the Sand

by Sermocinare



Series: Lifelines [1]
Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Anal Sex, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff, Forbidden Love, Frottage, Happy Ending, Love Conquers All, M/M, Moral Dilemmas, Oral Sex, Redemption, Rimming, Schmoop, Secret Relationship, Shara Bey's wedding ring, Sharing a Bed, War-Torn Lovers, love across enemy lines
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-29
Updated: 2018-03-03
Packaged: 2019-03-11 03:52:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13516020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sermocinare/pseuds/Sermocinare
Summary: When Poe Dameron and Armitage Hux meet for the first time, neither of them knows that they are on opposing sides of what will be the greatest conflict the galaxy has seen since the fall of the Empire. It's hard to not fall in love with the enemy when you don't even know who the enemy is, and it's even harder to see someone as the enemy once you've fallen...





	1. Chapter 1

„No, no. Hux. With an X.“

„I'm sorry, Sir, but I can't find anything under that name, either,“ the receptionist said with an apologetic shrug. 

Poe watched as the redhead shifted his weight from one foot to the other, his face showing an equal mix of annoyance and distress.

“Please, can you look again?”

“Sir, I already looked twice. There is no room booked under your name.” With that, the receptionist turned to the next person waiting in line, and put on a friendly smile again: “Hello and welcome to the Helicon. How may I help you?”

The redhead stood around for a few more seconds, then trudged over to the armchairs that made up the hotel's small lobby and let himself fall into one of them, clutching his bag in his lap. Poe couldn't help but feel sorry for the man. He looked about Poe's age, 23, 24 at most, and had the air, not to mention the complexion, of someone who didn't get out much.

His musings were interrupted by the receptionist turning to him, and by the time Poe had collected his key card, the redhead was gone. 

Poe saw him again in one of the casinos that evening. That ginger hair really did stand out, even in a crowd. Poe was talking to a small group whom he knew were friendly to the New Republic and the cause of the Resistance, trying to finalize a deal for a shipment of two dozen X-Wings. He had admittedly been a bit nervous when Leia had sent him on this mission to Canto Bight to, in the General's words, “work that charm for something useful for a change”, but had found that he was enjoying himself quite a bit. He liked the atmosphere of the planet, all the glitter and glamour, and doing something that would no doubt help the Resistance's efforts quite a bit felt good. 

Red seemed to be on a similar mission. Poe knew that the people he was talking to were in the same profession as Poe's prospective business partners, but right now it looked like the ginger – Hux, yes, that had been his name – was having considerably less success. The only smile in the group was on the face of Hux, and it looked like he didn't have much experience with smiling. Which was a shame, Poe thought, since it was a pretty cute smile. He watched as Hux took a glass off the tray of a passing waiter, and downed it in what was doubtlessly an effort to soothe his nerves. Poor guy. Poe hoped that Hux wasn't thinking of gambling, since it seemed that luck wasn't on this side.

Luck did smile down on Poe that evening, though. He had gotten the thumb prints of two suppliers on his pad who were willing to make a deal, and his modest efforts at gambling had even won him some money. 

He had decided to call it a night and head to the hotel when he once again saw Hux's ginger mop of hair in the crowd. Apparently, the evening had gone from not so good to worse for him. He was sitting on a padded sofa, looking like he had maybe had one too many confidence boosters, and was talking to yet another businessman. Hux was clearly quite uncomfortable, the reason for which was probably the hand that was groping his thigh and the creepy smile the man opposite of him was wearing. 

Fuck that. It was time for ginger's luck to change. 

Putting on a bright smile, Poe made a beeline for the sofa: “Hux, darling! There you are! I was looking all over for you. We were supposed to meet at the dice tables, remember?”

Hux looked up, giving Poe a quizzical look. 

Come on, Poe thought, play along, I'm trying to help you out here. Reaching out his hand to Hux, he said: “Come along, honey. Time to get back to our room.”

That seemed to make things click in Hux's mind, and he gave Poe a smile: “You're right. I'm sorry I forgot, I was so caught up in conversation...” he turned to the other man, who had quickly removed his hand from Hux's thigh: “I'm so sorry, I have to go now. It was a pleasure to meet you.”

With that, he took Poe's hand and let himself be pulled up. 

Poe hooked an arm through one of Hux's and led him out of the casino. Once they had passed the door, Hux untangled himself and smiled at Poe: “Thank you. I had no idea how to get out of there. Although,” Hux gave a self-deprecating snort, “at least I would have had somewhere to sleep...”

“So I take it you didn't manage to find a room.” Hux looked puzzled, and Poe went on: “I heard you arguing with the receptionist at the Helicon earlier.”

Hux pulled a face and wrapped his arms around his chest as if trying to comfort himself: “No, I didn't.” He let his eyes wander over the city, glittering with light, the voices and laughter of the people in the casino drifting out to them. Then, he gave a shrug: “I'll find something, and if it's some quiet spot at the beach. I've had worse, and at least it's warm here.”

Poe looked at Hux, the way he was standing there, putting on a brave face even though it was clear that the thought of not knowing where he would be sleeping was scaring him, and made a decision: “Come on. You're staying with me.”

“What?” Hux blinked, obviously not having expected anything like that.

“I'm not letting you sleep on the beach.”

“But you hardly know me!”

Poe chuckled and shrugged: “True. But you don't seem the type to kill someone in their sleep.”

“At least not if they've been helping me out of a tight spot twice in a row,” Hux replied with an answering chuckle. 

Poe held out his hand: “I'm Poe, by the way.”

“Hux. But you know that already.”

“Come along, then, Hux. Let's get some sleep.” 

Poe turned in the direction of the hotel, and Hux fell into step next to him: “Won't you get in trouble?” 

“Pff,” Poe said, waving a hand as if swatting a fly, then grinned at Hux: “They'll probably think you're my catch of the night.”

Maybe it was just the lighting, but Poe had the distinct impression that Hux's ears turned red at that. Which, come to think of it, was kind of adorable. 

As Poe had predicted, they crossed the lobby without raising any eyebrows, and soon, they were in Poe's room. While Poe had immediately sat down to get out of his somewhat uncomfortable dress shoes, Hux had remained standing at the door, clearly not knowing what to do. Which wasn't that surprising, seeing how the room they were in was obviously one of the cheaper ones – small, and with a narrow, single bed. The Resistance didn't have money to spend on luxuries, and Poe wasn't here on vacation, but on assignment. 

Finally, Hux spoke up: “I... is there a spare blanket and pillow? Just a blanket would be enough. I can sleep on the floor, I mean, it's still better than the beach.” Hux bit his lip, furrowing is brow: “We should have picked up my bag, I stashed it away in a locker at the docking station... all my things are in there.”

“We could go back and pick it up,” Poe said, but Hux shook his head and frowned.

“I'm really tired, and I don't feel so good. And I really don't want to go out there again. I've had enough of this place for today. I can do without for one night.”

Poe nodded. “As for sleeping,” he continued, “you're not sleeping on the floor. For one, there's no spare pillow or blanket, and also, I'd feel like a jerk if I left you sleeping on that cold, hard floor. We can share the bed. And no,” he said, holding up a hand before Hux could say anything, “I don't expect anything. I'm not a jerk, and I'm not some kind of creep who takes advantage of other people's misfortune, either. You'll sleep on one side, I'll sleep on the other, and that's that.”

Hux looked at him with eyes that still held a little mistrust, but then nodded in agreement. 

When Poe got back out of the bathroom, Hux had slipped under the blanket, which he had pulled up almost to his chin. He was lying on his side, close enough to the edge of the mattress that Poe wondered if he'd fall out of the bed during the night, the only part of his body still visible being the top of a pale, skinny shoulder that was dusted with a few barely noticeable freckles. 

Poe slipped in next to Hux, careful to leave at least a sliver of space between their bodies: “Good night, Hux.”

–

When Poe awoke the next morning, the sliver of space was gone. It seemed that during the night, Hux had lost some of his inhibitions, and now he was practically plastered to Poe's side, one arm thrown across Poe's chest. It wasn't that Poe minded. Not in the least. Hux's body was warm, and even though he was a little bony, his skin was soft, and Poe couldn't help but notice the contrast between Hux's paleness and his own brown skin. For a moment, Poe contemplated getting up, but truth to be told, he rather liked this, and Hux probably needed all the sleep he could get.

He didn't know for how long he had been lying there, simply enjoying the peaceful feeling that was surrounding him and the warmth of Hux's body, before Hux finally stirred. It started with a little squirm and a sigh, which quickly turned into a little groan. Then, Hux opened his eyes, blinking owlishly and taking in his surroundings. 

The moment he seemed to realize where he was, Hux pulled back from Poe and grimaced apologetically: “Sorry for...”

Hux made a vague gesture, and Poe had to laugh: “Don't worry. It's not like I minded.”

“You didn't?” Hux tilted his head, then looked at Poe from beneath his lashes, smiling in a way that was probably meant to be seductive but carried more than a hint of nerves: “Well, then...”

With that, Hux moved in again, his hand stroking Poe's chest while he placed a kiss on Poe's jaw.

Poe gave a short inhale, then reached up to gently grab Hux's wrist: “You don't have to do this.”

Hux blinked, frowning slightly: “Do what?”

“This. I told you, I don't expect any kind of, well, payment.”

“This isn't payment.” The frown on Hux's face deepened: “Don't you like men?”

“I do.”

“Then you don't like me.” Hux shrugged nonchalantly, but his face betrayed that he felt stung, sad even. “That's all right.”

“It's not that. I do like you. You're an attractive guy. I just want to make sure that you're not doing this because you think I expect it from you.”

“I'm not doing this because I think you expect anything as repayment or something. Honestly.” Hux nuzzled underneath Poe's jaw: “I just think you're an attractive guy, too.”

“Well, if you put it that way,” Poe chuckled, letting go of Hux's wrist to stroke the other man's side, “there's nothing wrong with having some fun.”

Hux smiled with more than a little relief, then went back to placing small kisses along Poe's jaw, slowly wandering down over his neck until he reached his shoulder. Hux's lips were warm and soft, just like his pale skin, and Poe shuddered when he felt the flick of a tongue against his collar bone. He let his hand wander down Hux's side to the jut of Hux's hip bone, rubbing small circles over it with his thumb before moving on to explore the curve of Hux's ass. 

Poe gave an appreciative hum. He hadn't really been paying attention to that particular feature of Hux last night, having been more enchanted with Hux's bright ginger hair and aristocratic face, but that had been a grievous oversight. From the feel of it, Hux's ass was just the kind Poe liked – pert and firm. He gave it a short squeeze, and Hux moaned, pressing into the touch. Poe grinned. Now that was promising. 

Maneuvering them so that Hux was lying on top of him, Poe continued to give Hux's ass the attention it deserved, drawing more of those delicious moans out of the redhead. Poe gasped when he felt Hux's lips on his nipple, teasing and sucking it until Poe was almost willing to beg him to stop. 

“You've got one talented mouth on you, Hux,” Poe said, grinning and running the tips of his fingers over Hux's back, which got him another one of those sexy little shudders. 

And stars, he wanted that mouth somewhere else. He put a hand on Hux's head, stroking the ginger hair before putting a little pressure on, a suggestion for Hux to take or leave as it pleased him. Luckily, Hux seemed to like Poe's idea and began to move downwards, pressing a trail of kisses over Poe's abdomen until he had reached the tip of Poe's by now hard cock. 

With a soft, almost curious hum, Hux gave Poe's shaft a few experimental kisses and licks, and this time, it was Poe who shuddered and caught his breath, letting it out again with a moan when Hux let the tip of Poe's cock slide into his mouth. 

Saying that Hux had a talented mouth had been an understatement. The ginger must have had quite some experience, mixing teasing licks and swirls with greedy sucks, each of which took Poe a little bit deeper, until he was taking Poe almost to the hilt. 

“Fuck, Hux, yes, just like that...” Poe was moaning, gasping out little encouragements while carding his fingers through Hux's hair, occasionally settling them on the back of Hux's head to guide him. 

It didn't take long until Poe was sure he wouldn't be able to hold out any longer: “Hux, I'm going to come, oh fuck...”

Hux didn't move away, instead redoubling his efforts, and when Poe came with a short yell, he kept on sucking him through his orgasm, waiting until Poe was completely spent before pulling away. 

It took Poe a few moments to come back to his senses. Hux had shimmied upwards again, body half draped over Poe, and he was pressing open-mouthed kisses on Poe's shoulder. 

“Stars, Hux...” 

Poe leaned down, capturing the redhead's mouth in a deep, languid kiss. 

“You don't happen to have any lube around, do you?” Hux purred, nibbling Poe's ear.

Poe shook his head: “Sorry. I didn't really expect to need any.” He grinned: “It's not like I pick up a sexy ginger in every place I visit.”

“Really?” Hux grinned back, chuckling: “You seem just the type.”

During their banter, Hux had started moving his hips, rubbing his hard cock against Poe's groin, and now, his movements got more insistent, and a short sigh escaped his plush, pink lips. 

“How about I repay the favor?” Poe leaned in for another kiss: “Show you that you're not the only one with a talented mouth...”

Hux shook his head, then leaned his forehead against Poe's shoulder: “No... this is good...”

As if on cue, Poe could feel the first drop of precome leak from Hux's cock, slick against his skin. Humming, he wrapped his arms around Hux's middle, holding him close: “All right.”

From then on, the only sounds were Hux's sighs and moans as he moved against Poe's body. It was a beautiful sight, really. Hux kept his eyes closed, his face scrunched up in pleasure while he rutted against Poe who continued to hold him, occasionally stroking Hux's back. Hux was completely lost in his pleasure, and Poe cursed himself for not having brought lube. He fervently hoped that Hux wouldn't have to leave, because he knew he wanted more of this, needed to see Hux come apart when they fucked. 

Poe had been so lost in the sight of Hux that he almost startled when Hux came, spilling himself between them, slippery heat coating both their bodies. 

For a while, both of them just lay there, basking in the happy warmth of their afterglow. Eventually, though, Hux began to move, disentangling himself from Poe's arms: “I think I need a shower”

“Me too. But you go first. That way I can laze around for a bit longer.”

Hux chuckled: “Not an early riser, are we?”

“Oh, I have to problem rising, as you've seen,” Poe said with a wink, “it's the getting out of bed part that's a bit of a problem.”

Hux rolled his eyes and groaned, then slipped into the fresher. 

“Got you,” Poe muttered to himself, grinning. All in all, this trip was shaping up to be both productive and fun. He hadn't liked it when Leia had sent him on this mission. Yes, he was a people person and could be persuasive, but he would have preferred to use those talents on people who weren't as morally questionable as the business contacts he had met with. But, as Leia had said, their enemy was preparing for a war, and sometimes, in a war, you had to do things that you didn't completely agree with, for the good of the greater goal. 

Hux didn't take long in the fresher, peeking out of the door only a few minutes later: “Say, Poe, you don't happen to have anything like hair gel or something like that with you? Mine's in my bag, and well, you know where that is...”

“Sorry, I can't help you there,” Poe replied, grinning: “These curls are all natural. But really, you look pretty cute like that, with your fringe falling into your face. You should toss the gel.”

Hux gave a snort, mumbling something about not being cute while pulling on his pants. 

Poe stretched expansively before finally getting out from underneath the warm, comfortable blanket. Time to get ready for the day, even though he would have liked to spend it in bed. Especially if Hux was there with him. 

“Hux?”

The other man half-turned, continuing to button up his shirt: “Hm?”

Poe scratched the back of his neck, a bit unsure how to continue, but he knew that he would curse himself for the rest of his life if he didn't ask: “I'm staying here for another two nights, so if you need a place to stay... if you want to, I mean. I'd like it if you did. No strings attached, of course,” he added hastily. 

Hux smiled, his eyes lighting up: “Yes.” Crossing the short space between them, Hux rested his hands on Poe's waist and leaned in for a kiss that was light and gentle, but left Poe's head spinning nonetheless: “And stop worrying. I'm considering that a perk. Will you come with me to pick up my stuff?”

“Of course.” Poe grinned with relief, then gave Hux a little wink: “We should see if we can find somewhere to buy some lube on the way.”  
“Absolutely.”


	2. Chapter 2

„Stars, Hux...“ Poe moaned, closing his eyes for a moment as the pleasure threatened to overwhelm him. 

Hux rolled his hips, echoing Poe's moan with one of his own, and Poe reached out, touching the other man's face with his fingertips. Hux was so beautiful like this, sitting on Poe's cock, his skin flushed pink almost down to his navel. 

Hux sought out Poe's fingers with his mouth, sucking on them for a moment before turning his gaze back to Poe's. He had his palms resting on Poe's chest, fingers splayed, balancing himself as he lifted his hips again, then let himself drop back, whimpering Poe's name, and Poe knew that he would never, ever get enough of this.

Poe let his fingers slide down Hux's neck and chest until he could wrap them around Hux's cock, letting his thumb run over the head to spread the beads of wetness that were leaking there before starting to stroke Hux in time with the movements of their hips. 

It didn't take long until he saw the tell-tale signs of Hux's approaching orgasm, the way Hux threw his head back as a shudder ran through his body, teeth biting his lower lip to hold back his moans, which turned into a cry as he spilled himself over Poe's belly and chest. 

Putting his hands on Hux's hips, Poe held him still while he fucked upwards into the tight heat that was clenching around him, chasing his own orgasm with a few hard thrusts until he collapsed back into the mattress, utterly spent.

Hux bent down to press a breathless kiss to Poe's lips before lying down next to Poe, one arm hanging over the edge of the bed, the other pushing in underneath Poe's shoulders in an invitation to cuddle up, and Poe did so without hesitation, resting his head on Hux's chest. He could hear Hux's still rapid heartbeat, feel the other man's chest rise and fall beneath him, and it was almost enough to lull him back to sleep. 

There was no time for sleeping, though. His stay on Canto Bight was over, and he had a transport to catch. The thought made his heart clench painfully. He didn't want to leave. More to the point, he didn't want to leave Hux. While Poe had had his share of flings, he didn't fall in love easily, and he certainly hadn't planned on falling for a guy he had only met three days ago, but here he was, feeling an overwhelming sadness at the thought of possibly never seeing Hux again. 

He couldn't let this happen. 

„Hux?“

„Mhm?“

„I'm going to have to get ready soon. To catch my shuttle back.“

„I know.“

Had there been a note of sadness in Hux's voice? Maybe. Or maybe it had just been wishful thinking on Poe's part. There was only one way to find out.

Poe pushed himself up on one elbow so he could look into Hux's eyes: „I would like to see you again.“

For a moment, Hux looked surprised, but then, a relieved smile spread over his features: “Me too. I... I wasn't sure how you felt about this, about me, and I didn't dare to ask...”

Poe returned Hux's smile, then leaned down to give Hux a deep, passionate kiss, until he felt out of breath again. Then, he laughed: “And I don't even know your first name.”

“Really?” Hux gave him a quizzical look, then chuckled: “And here I was so sure I'd told you some time along the way. Armitage. My first name is Armitage.”

“Armitage Hux. I like it.” Poe chuckled: “Hugs from Armitage Hux.”

Hux rolled his eyes: “Continue like that and I'll have to re-think if I really want to see you again. Your puns are terrible. Has anyone ever told you that?”

“Everyone. All the time.”

“And yet, you continue making them.”

“What can I say, I'm stubborn like that. I tend to hold on to the things that make me happy. Like, oh, you.”

“Mmm. I guess I'll have to get used to them, then,” Hux said, nuzzling Poe's temple. “It's a small price to pay.”

–

Poe's little transport shuttle touched down on the grass outside of the small outpost where Hux and him had been meeting for a while now. Sometimes, he felt bad about this, both about having to keep his relationship secret, and about, in a way, betraying the trust of his comrades. Those feelings were eclipsed by the joy of seeing Hux again, though, the anticipation of holding his lover in his arms, kissing him, sharing a bed with him bubbling up inside his chest. 

He hoped that Hux was there already. Waiting for him made Poe antsy, worried even. He was sure Hux felt the same. There were risks involved in what they did, and neither of them could guarantee that something wouldn't come up that kept them from meeting. It had happened before, and every time, Poe had felt a physical pain, a weight that was squeezing his heart, which was calling out for Hux. 

The moment Poe entered the cantina and laid eyes on Hux, who was sitting at a table in the far corner of the room, everything, every thought and worry, melted away like snow under a desert sun. He crossed the room with large strides, then wrapped his arms around Hux, immediately nuzzling into the crook of the other man's neck, pressing his lips against the warm skin and inhaling Hux's by now familiar scent: “Missed you.”

“Missed you, too,” Hux murmured into Poe's hair, squeezing him so tightly that Poe almost worried about getting enough air. “I couldn't think of anything else but you for the last few days. I feel as if I've been sleepwalking.”

Poe pulled back and cocked his head: “But you look like you haven't slept for days.”

“Not much,” Hux said in an almost apologetic tone. “I've just had so much to do...”

Poe cupped Hux's cheek, which seemed to be a bit more hollow than last time, and smiled: “Sweetheart, didn't I tell you to watch out after yourself when I'm not there to do it?” He stroked Hux's cheekbone with his thumb: “You work too much.”

Hux leaned his forehead against Poe's with a sigh: “Well, now you're here to see to it that I get some relaxation.”

“Oh yes.” Poe grinned: “I'm going to tire you out.”

Hux leaned in for a kiss, his tongue slipping into Poe's mouth, kissing him with enough passion to take Poe's breath away.

“How about we order some food up to our room later?” Hux said, eyes twinkling mischievously. 

“Great idea. I'm hungry for something else right now, too.”

–

The door had barely closed behind them before they were tearing at each others clothes, both of them eager to explore the other one's body with their hands and mouths after weeks of being apart. 

At some point, Hux had flipped Poe over and pulled his hips up, tongue delving into Poe's crack. 

“Stars, Hux,” Poe moaned, a shudder running through his body, “still so good with your mouth...”

Hux pulled back a bit and chuckled, then nipped at Poe's ass cheek, which drew a short yelp. “I know how much you love it.”

Poe's hum of approval turned into a gasp as he felt Hux's tongue flick over his rim, and soon enough, every coherent thought that he might have had was drowned out by the pleasure burning through his veins. 

All that was left was Hux's name, falling from his lips over and over again as Hux thrust into him, hitting just the right spot with every snap of his hips, until they both collapsed into the sheets, spent and happy. 

Poe rolled over to face Hux, whose smile was brighter than any sun Poe had ever seen. Reaching out, he pushed a strand of hair out of Hux's damp forehead before bumping it gently with his own: “I love you. Do you know that?”

“Yes,” Hux said, his fingers playing with the curls at Poe's nape, “and I love you, too.” 

Then, Hux pulled back, covering a yawn with the back of his hand. “Sorry,” he said with an embarrassed grin, “I haven't slept a lot during the last few weeks. I finally have my own command. Lots of responsibility, even if it's just a rustbucket that should have been decomissioned years ago.”

“Hey, don't rag on the rustbuckets. I've flown a few, and with the right handling, you can still get a lot out of them.” He smiled gently and pressed a soft kiss to Hux's lips: “Get some sleep, sweetheart. I'll be here when you wake up. We have four whole days to catch up on what we missed over the last few weeks.”

“ 's not enough,” Hux mumbled, but it took him less than two minutes to fall into a deep, restful sleep. 

–

Poe wasn't sure what he enjoyed more: the amazing, mind-blowing sex they had, or these quiet moments where they just basked in each others company. The evening sun was falling through the open window, turning Hux's ginger hair into a fiery orange and coloring his pale skin in a golden hue. Like this, Hux looked almost otherworldly, like something out of one of his mother's stories. 

His hand wandered to his chest, fiddling with the ring dangling from a silver chain. Maybe...

“Hux?”

“Yes?”

“You asked about this, a while ago,” Poe said, holding up the ring.

“I did. But you said you didn't want to talk about it.” Hux pushed himself up from where he had been lying, his head pillowed on Poe's thigh. 

Poe nodded. It wasn't an easy topic, and he hadn't felt ready to breach it back then. But things had changed, Hux and him had grown closer than Poe had imagined they would in the beginning.

“It's my mother's wedding ring.” Poe bit his lip, closing his fingers around the ring: “She died when I was still a kid.”

Hux kissed Poe's shoulder and gave it a short, comforting nuzzle: “I'm sorry, love. I can't really imagine how it must have felt... I never knew my mother.”

Now it was on Poe to press a kiss to Hux's flaming hair: “What happened?”

Hux shrugged, looking away, and Poe could feel that Hux was trying to hide his true feelings: “I'm not sure. I know that my father and she weren't married, because she wasn't good enough for that.” Hux gave a snort, frowning.

“Your father sounds like a stellar human being.”

“Oh, you have no idea.” Hux's frown deepened, and he pressed closer against Poe's side. 

A part of Poe wanted to ask Hux more questions about his family, because from Hux's reactions, it was clear that it was a source of great pain, a pain that Poe wanted to take away. By now, though, Poe knew that when it came to the most vulnerable parts of himself, Hux would open up when he felt comfortable with doing so, and not a moment earlier. 

“Anyway, at her funeral, my father gave me her ring, and said that I should keep it until some day, I'd find a person I want to be with for the rest of my life, just like he had felt when he met my mother.”

Smiling at Hux, Poe lifted the chain over his head, holding the ring up for a moment before placing it around Hux's neck: “I think I found that person.”

“Poe... I...” for a moment, Hux's eyes showed confusion, shock even, before filling with tears: “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” Poe said, kissing away the first tear that was spilling from Hux's eyes. “I've never been this sure of anything in my life.”

“But...”

“Shh, sweetheart. Less talking, more kissing.”

Hux smiled, a smile that lit up the whole room, before leaning in to do just that. 

–

It seemed to Poe that every time they had to part, it hurt even more than the last, and this time was no exception. Knowing that they wouldn't see each other again for several weeks, maybe months, was enough to make him feel as if his heart was being torn out of his chest, and he knew that Hux felt the same.

Hux's hand was wrapped tightly around the ring that now rested against his chest, the pain of having to leave etched clearly into his features: “Sometimes, I wish we could just leave everything behind. Run away together and forget about everything.”

“I know,” Poe said, taking Hux's free hand. Then, he sighed: “But we can't. They need me.”

Hux didn't say anything, but Poe could see the muscles in his jaw working as he looked away. Poe often felt tempted to try and talk Hux into deserting, but he knew that the mere thought of betraying the only life he had ever known, which he had been raised into ever since he could remember, felt like treason to Hux. He couldn't put Hux through that. 

Poe leaned his head against Hux's: “We'll see each other again soon, and now you have something to remember me by. A little piece of me, to help you get through those weeks we're apart.”

“Yes,” Hux whispered, his hands cradling Poe's face. “Even if I have to hide it, you're always with me.”


	3. Chapter 3

Poe suspected that deep down, both of them had known that it would come to this. Had feared it, especially once there had been signs that the cold war was beginning to heat up. The First Order had started a campaign of aggressive, overt expansion, and, since the New Republic was unwilling to act against the threat it was facing, the Resistance had started to fly open attacks on First Order ships. This was what they had been preparing for over the years, and Poe was at the forefront of these attacks, had led his squadron in a number of missions that had resulted in the death of hundreds of First Order personnell. Not that the First Order hadn't done the same.

He suspected that Hux knew. They had been together for years now, and had gotten attuned to each other enough to notice small changes in each other's behavior. Besides, Hux was a General now, and would have access to every piece of espionage the First Order could gather. 

Poe was sitting on the bed, looking over at Hux, who was standing at the large window that overlooked the by now familiar landscape of the small, far away planet that had, over the years, become a sort of second home. The sun was slanting through the window in a way that made it difficult for Poe to read the other man's expression, but there was an undeniable tension to the way Hux held himself. 

It was Hux who finally broke the silence: “We can't go on like this. Pretending like the world outside doesn't matter. That we're not on opposing sides of what will inevitably turn into a an all-out war.”

Poe bit his lip, then gave a small nod: “No. We can't. But...” he fell silent again, trying to sort out his thoughts, his feelings, but it was near impossilbe to separate anything from the rest. He spread his hands: “I don't know what to do. I can't stop the war.”

Hux came over to the bed, sitting down on the edge of the matress and picking at a loose thread in the sheets: “I can't either.” 

“Did you even try?”

The moment the words were out of his mouth, Poe wanted to snatch them back, put them back into the dark corner of his mind they had come from. What was even worse was that he knew that he was right. 

“No.” Hux's tone was unapologetic, his lips pressing into a tight line, and he fixed his gaze on Poe: “I wish you could see things my way, even if it's only for a moment. You're trying to save a system, a government that isn't worth saving. The rule of the New Republic has been nothing but chaos, and we're trying to end that. To bring stability to the galaxy.”

“By subjugating every planet that doesn't fall in line by force?” Poe scoffed. Then, he shook his head, looking away: “I don't want to fight with you.”

“But we're already fighting, aren't we?” Hux's voice was small, pained: “Outside of this room. The moment we go back to where we're from, we're fighting, and not just with words. The moment we leave here, our fights get deadly.”

When Poe finally turned his head to face Hux again, he saw that there were tears running down Hux's cheeks. Instinctively, he moved in, wrapping his arms around Hux to comfort him. He felt Hux's arms close around him, and for a moment, both of them held the other, trying to take away the other's pain. 

Then, Hux moved away, hands reaching for the chain that hung around his neck and lifting it over his head: “You should take this back. Save it for someone you can actually be with. Someone you don't have to hide, who won't cause you pain.” 

Taking Poe's hand, Hux turned it around and let the ring fall into Poe's open palm. His voice was no more than a cracked whisper: “I'm sorry. I'm sorry I can't be the man you want, need me to be.”

With that, Hux stood up, putting on his jacket and reaching for his bag. Poe wanted to shout at him to stop, to grab Hux's arm and keep him from leaving, but he couldn't move, couldn't do more than whisper “Goodbye” as the door closed behind the man he loved. 

For a while, he sat in silence, staring at the ring in his palm. Then, he closed his fingers around it, curled up on the bed and let himself cry. 

–

“Sir, we managed to capture a resistance pilot on Jakku. He didn't have the map, but Commander Ren thinks he knows where it is. We are interrogating him as we speak.”

“Dismissed.” Hux gave a curt nod towards the Lieutenant that had brought him the report on the mission to Jakku. 

All in all, it had gone well. They had achieved their goal, even though Hux still wasn't happy about that much time and resources being diverted from the construction of Starkiller towards this hunt for some aging Jedi. 

Hux scanned the full report, taking in the number of losses, which was, as usual, negligible. Captain Phasma really had to be commended for her excellent training of the troops. 

Then, Hux froze, his blood running cold as he saw the name of the captured Resistance pilot. Poe Dameron. Poe. They had captured Poe. Poe was here, on the Finalizer, in the hands of his interrogators. In the hands of Kylo Ren. 

No. No, no, no. This couldn't be happening. Not Poe. Anyone but Poe. Why? Why would Organa send her best pilot on what had been a simple search and retrieve mission? 

Hux swallowed hard, trying to keep himself from shivering. Before he had even fully realized what he was doing, he had handed the bridge over to Captain Peavey and was hurrying through the corridors towards the interrogation chambers. 

A part of him was telling him that no, he shouldn't be doing this, he needed to stay away from Poe lest he do something rash, something that would cost him his rank, his life, but his heart was yelling at him to do something, Poe was in danger, he was hurting. The man he had loved, whom he still loved, was in pain. That if he didn't do something, Poe was as good as dead. 

“General Hux.” The trooper who was standing guard outside of the interrogation chamber stood at attention.

“I need to see the prisoner.”

There was a pause, and Hux imagined he could see the trooper swallow hard. 

“Commander Ren is currently interrogating him. He does not wish to be disturbed. By anyone,” the trooper quickly added. 

Hux's hands twitched. If Ren was in there, it meant that Poe hadn't given anything away despite the torture. This was bad. Hux grit his teeth, silently cursing Poe for being so damn loyal, so stupidly honorable. There was no way Ren wouldn't get the information he was seeking, even if it meant that Poe's mind would be left shredded to pieces. Hux had seen it before, the shivering, almost catatonic husks of flesh that Ren's mind probing could leave behind. But he had no choice.

“Then I will wait.”

The trooper nodded, and Hux positioned himself besides the door, thanking the maker that the walls of the interrogation rooms were sound proof. He wouldn't be able to bear hearing Poe's screams. He would do something rash, something stupid, and they would both die. Hux needed to keep his wits about him. 

It didn't take long until Ren stepped through the door. Brushing past Hux, Ren said something about the map, but Hux hardly heard him. He waited until Ren had rounded the next bend in the corridor, then turned to the guard: “Dismissed.”

“Sir...”

“I said: dismissed!”

The trooper turned around, and Hux stepped into the room. What he saw there wrenched his heart in a way that was so painful that for a moment, Hux was afraid it had stopped entirely. 

Poe was strapped to a table, bleeding from several wounds. Ren's mind probing had left him barely conscious, and Hux could hear Poe's faint, pained moan. 

“Poe!” 

In the blink of an eye, Hux was at Poe's side, carefully cradling his face: “Poe. Poe, please, say something!”

It took a few heartbeats, but then Poe's eyes opened, focusing on Hux's face blearily: “Hux?”

“Oh, Poe.” Hux felt a sob rise in his chest, tears prickling in his eyes: “I'm so sorry, Poe.”

“Hux...” there was relief in Poe's voice, but then, his face twisted in pain: “Head hurts...”

Hux blinked away his tears, reaching out to carefully smooth back Poe's hair: “I know, love. I know, and I'm so, so sorry.” He took a deep breath: “I'm going to get you out of here.”


	4. Chapter 4

Hux's mind was racing. Getting Poe out of the interrogation chamber and to a shuttle wouldn't be a problem. Even if some of the people they would pass in the corridors might find it strange that the General himself was escorting a prisoner to a shuttle and off the ship, they would know better than to question him, or stand in his way. Ren was most likely busy with plotting the capture of the droid, so he wouldn't cause any problems, either. At least not until news of the departure of the General and his prisoner reached him. Then, all hell would break loose, that much was certain. Which meant that he didn't have many options on where to go. Well, he would deal with the consequences of that later. Right now, all that mattered was that he got Poe out of here.

“Can you walk?”

Poe nodded, gritting his teeth: “Where are we going?”

“The shuttle bay. I'm going to get you back to the Resistance.”

Before Poe could start to argue, Hux gripped him by the upper arm, wincing inwardly at Poe's hiss of pain, and marched him out of the room. As predicted, no one tried to stop them, and even though some of the officers threw them slightly confused glances, everyone kept on with whatever business they were on. 

Once they reached the hangar, Hux turned to the young officer on duty: “The Supreme Leader wishes to interrogate the prisoner himself. Ready my shuttle.”

“Yes, General. How many troopers will you need to...”

“Do you really think that I can't handle this piece of rebel garbage myself, Petty Officer?” Hux snapped, cutting the other man off with a glare that made the color drain from the young officer's face. “Just get the shuttle ready. Now!”

“Yes, Sir! Right away, Sir.”

The Petty Officer scurried off, and Hux heard a chuckle next to him: “The poor guy. For a moment I thought he'd pee himself. I didn't know you could be this scary.”

“Oh, that was nothing,” Hux replied in a whisper, his eyes darting over to Poe for a moment. 

As soon as the door of the shuttle closed behind them, Hux slid into the pilot's chair, fingers flying over the controls as he programmed coordinates into the system: “I give us an hour at most before they find out that I'm deserting. Which means that by then, you have to be off this ship and on your way back to the Resistance base.”

Poe sat down next to Hux, shaking his head and then wincing as the movement made the pain return at full force: “Deserting?”

“Well, I thought that if I'm going to break out an important prisoner, I might as well go all the way,” Hux laughed, but it was a rather mirthless sound. 

Poe looked out of the shuttle, watching as the stars around them turned from small dots into streaks as they entered hyperspace. 

“You could always say that I somehow coerced you.”

Now it was Hux who shook his head: “They wouldn't believe me. Well, some might, but Supreme Leader Snoke would not be among them. No. All that's left for me now is to run, as far as possible.”

“Then I'm coming with you,” Poe said, grasping Hux's hand and squeezing his fingers. Hux had thrown away his whole life to save him, and Poe wouldn't ever let him go again. 

Hux turned so that they were facing each other and leaned in, kissing Poe with a desperation and longing that threatened to shatter Poe's heart into a million pieces. Then, he pulled back: “No. You have to go back to the Resistance. There's something they need to know.” Hux drew a shakey breath, grasping on to Poe's hands like a drowning man: “The First Order... we... I've been building a weapon. It's called Starkiller, and it's unlike anything the galaxy has seen before.” 

–

“Set down over there, in the clearing,” Poe said, pointing ahead. 

Hux could see the dense cover of trees thinning out, and soon enough, he set the shuttle down, underbrush and dried wood cracking underneath the spacecraft's weight. 

Poe must have seen him flinch, because he laid a hand on Hux's shoulder: “Don't worry. No one will have heard, we're far enough away from any kind of settlement.”

“And you're sure your contact is still here, and can get you off planet?”

“Yes.” Poe gently placed his hand on Hux's cheek: “I'm far more worried about you. Are you sure you don't want to come with me?”

Hux closed his eyes and leaned into the touch for a moment before pulling back and nodding: “Yes, I am. You and I both know what would happen if I gave myself up to the Resistance. And while I trust you when you say that no harm would come to me, I don't fancy being imprisoned for the rest of my life, either.”

Poe bit his lip. He didn't want to simply leave Hux behind, not when he knew that Hux would be hunted by the whole of the First Order and the Resistance. Hux was risking his life for Poe's freedom, and it felt selfish and cruel to leave. 

“Where will you go?”

Hux shrugged: “I'm not sure yet. There are a few places, safe houses if you will, that I've secretly built up over the years.” He shook his head: “I just never thought that I would actually need them. And if I did, it would be because someone had led a coup against me. Not because...”

Hux swallowed hard, unable to bring himself to say it again. That he was not only deserting, but handing the plans to the previously secret weapon that had been meant to secure victory for the First Order to the Resistance. That he was a traitor. 

Poe wrapped his arms around Hux, pulling him in and letting him rest his head against Poe's shoulder. If only the other Resistance members could see Hux like he did. As a man whose heart loved so deeply, so fiercely that he was willing to sacrifice everything just to keep the man he loved safe. 

Pulling back, Poe reached up to slip his necklace over his head. His mother's ring. He had given it to Hux once before, but back then, both of them had still been able to shove the reality of their situation to the backs of their minds. They had been young and naive, believing that their love could keep the war from touching them. How very, very wrong they had been. The war had come for them, had torn them apart, just like it had torn apart the whole galaxy. 

In the end, though, it hadn't managed to kill their love for each other. Their love had been stronger, they had been stronger, and Poe would never, ever let go of this love again. 

“When this is over, I'll come and find you. I'll stay with you until we're both old and grey, and even if the galaxy goes up in flames around us, I won't leave you. I won't ever leave you again.” 

Gently placing the chain around Hux's neck, Poe leaned in for a deep kiss. He felt Hux's arms slip around his shoulders, holding him close, not letting him go until they were both out of breath. 

Finally, Hux leaned his forehead against Poe's and whispered: “Go. Stay safe. Stay alive. I'll be waiting for you. Even if it takes a decade or more, I'll be waiting.”

“I'll come back. I promise.”

–

“No!” 

Hux awoke with a yell, finding himself sitting up straight in the bed, his body drenched in a cold sweat, heart thundering against his ribs. Poe. Where was Poe?

“Shhhh. Calm down, love. I'm here. I'm here.”

Hux let out a shuddering sigh as he felt Poe's warm, familiar body wrap around him from behind, pulling him in. Holding him, protecting him.

“Another nightmare?” Poe's voice was tinged with concern, and he nuzzled against Hux's nape. 

Hux nodded: “They captured you again. They made me watch, and I couldn't do anything...”

“It's all right.” Poe gently maneuvered them around until Hux could rest his head on Poe's chest, listen to his husband's breathing, his strong heartbeat. “Snoke is dead, remember? The First Order capitulated. The war is over.”

Hux made an affirmative noise, but at the same time burrowed closer into Poe's chest. The war had been over for over a decade, at least for the rest of the galaxy. Sometimes, though, Hux wondered if it would ever be over for him. If his memories would ever fade away until even his sleeping mind couldn't dredge them up again. 

For a while, they sat in silence, with Poe stroking and kissing Hux's hair until, bit by bit, Hux relaxed in his arms. 

“You hear that? The birds are waking up.”

Hux lifted his head off Poe's chest, listening intently. Yes. There it was, the familiar chirps, tweets and beginnings of song that announced that soon, it would be sunrise. 

Poe laced his fingers with Hux's, then lifted their hands to place a kiss on Hux's knuckles: “We could go to the tree. Sit underneath its branches and watch the sun come up. How about it?”

Hux had always like the tree. Poe had told him about its history, and even though he wasn't sure he believed in something like a force-sensitive plant, sitting underneath it always made him feel at peace. 

He smiled up at his husband, gently squeezing Poe's fingers with his: “Yes. I'd like that very much.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big thank you to everyone who has been reading along, and especially those who have left encouraging comments! I absolutely love these boys, and this pairing, so I'm sure there will be some more stories coming up :)


End file.
